Rail-joint.



J. W. TROTTER.

RAIL JOINT. APPLICATION FILED DEC-13,1918.

Patented Apr. 1, 1919.

@JEPH LEON MJER W. TBOTTER, 0F BING, ALABAMA.

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51' '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrsi W. 'lnorrna, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jetferson and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful 1m rovements in Rail-Joints, of which the ollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to rail joints and one of the principal objects of the same is to provide eiiicient and reliable means for joining the meeting ends of a pair of railroad rails and to ermitthe same to expand and contract without interfering with the eficienc of the joint.

Anot ier object is to provide a novel and efiective means for anchoring the joint to the cross ties.

A further object of the invention is to provide suitable spiral springs to fit on the bolts between washers so as to permit ot a sliht yielding action to the rail and joint,

till another object is to provide a base lock bar to hold the joint sections from spreading in case the bolts become loose.

Still another object is to provide a reinforcing web on each side of the joint preferably in the center between the supporting cross ties and opposite the joint in the track rails so as to render the joint as strong as 2mg part of the rail and as rigid. Q

till another object is to provide interlocking elements in the bases of the joint sections so as to hold the joint sections against relative longitudinal movement when the rails are expanding and contracting.

Still another object is to provide holes through the meeting edges of the bases of the joint sections and to pass tie bolts down through these holes and secure them to brackets which engage under and between the adjacent cross ties.

My invention further comprises the novel details of construction and arrangements of parts, which in their preferred embodiments only are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part of the specification, and in which 2- Figure I is a side elevation of my joint in operating position.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 1, that).

Application filed December 28, 1918. Serial No. 268,051

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, omittin the showing of the cross tie.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View of the joint proper with the tie bolts removed.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of Fig. 1 omittin the tie engaging bracket.

imilar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

1 have illustrated my invention as applied to the meeting ends of track rails 1 and 2 which are provided with the customary bolt holes 3 and are seated in the rail joint formed by two longitudinal halt sections t,

which when assembled are shaped to provide between them a recess conforming to the base and web of the rail so as to fit the latter snugly and to engage under the head of the rail in the manner well understood in this art. The bases 5 of the joint sections extend laterally beyond the base of the rails and are there provided each with a raised integral reinforcing web 15 in the center of the joint and with openings 18 for the securing spikes. Bolts 6 are passed through the holes 3 in the web of the rails and through alining openings in the joint mem bers and on each side of the joint I provide a spiral spring 7 surrounding the bolt and interposed between a pair of washers 8, thus forming a yielding spring connettion on each side of the joint. A nut 9 is screwed on the bolt 6 and held against displacement by a cotter key 10.

In order to provide an additional means for more positively and rigidly securing the joint to the cross ties 12 in certain positions of the track which are subjected to abnormal strains. or where an accident would be of most serious consequences, such as on curves. bridges, etc., I provide a pair of tie bolts 11 which are passed through holes 21 formed partly in each oi" the ,meeting edges of the joint bases 5 and the heads of the bolts are seated in countersunk recesses so as to lie flush with the interior bottom surface of the joint. These tie bolts are dis posed to come between the adjacent pair of ties and at their lower ends are passed through a metallic bracket member 17, the ends of which are adapted to engage under the cross ties and 'the middle portion of which is bent upwardly at right angles to form a spacing brace between the ties, thus bringin it above the ground level so as to expose the nuts 13 which secure the tie bolts 11 to the bracket. The rail web engaging portions of the joint members are reinforced by integral enlargements or shoulders 14 which extend from engagement with the head of the rail to the rail base engaging portions of the joint members, as will be seen more clearly in Fig-4:, where it Will also be noted that the reinforcing webs 15 are in transverse alinement with the shoulders 14 and the rail joints, thus giving the joint its maximum strength where it is subjected to the greatest strain. Preferably the webs 15 have sloping ends to avoid engaging any hanging part of the train.

lln order to insure the oint sections against separation should the securing bolts be broken or removed, ll provide a tie bar 16 having up-turned end flanges which overlap the side edges of the joint bases 5, being slipped endwise thereon to hold them securely against separation. To hold the joint sections against longitudinal displacement as a result of the expansion and contraction of the. rail, I provide one section with a lug or projection 20 which is adapted to fit into a correspondingly shaped recess 20 in the opposite section. Preferably the lug and recess are tapered to center the joint members and bring their bolt holesinto proper alinement.

To further insure the joint against lateral or spreading movement on the cross ties should the spikes work loose,. I provide round iron studs 23 which are driven into the top surface of the ties so as to leave about one-half inch oi their heads projecting and l provide the base of the joint members with sockets 19 adapted to receive these studs. I thus provide a loose fastening which underlies the rails and will hold them against spreading or lateral displacement, even after the spikes are removed.

In operation, having by measurements properly located and driven the studs 23 in the ties, the joint sections are assembled about the meeting ends of the rails and the tie bar 16 is slipped in place, which will hold the sections together and they will be centered by the lugs 20. After causing the studs to engage in holes 19 by shifting the ties, the s lkes are driven and the bolts 6 inserted. ere it is necessary to use them, the tie bolts 11 are inserted between the joint sections when they are assembled and the bracket 17 is placed under and between .the adjoining ties and the bolts 11 made fast thereto, thus completing the mounting naeaaea of the joint. When thus mounted and assembled the joint holds the tracks against spreading by the customary action or the spikes, and also b the studs 23, bolts 11 and brackets 17, w ich latter members rigidly resist any upward displacement of the joint should the spikes give way. The tie bar 16 being located between the tie bolts 11, makes it impossible to separate the joint plate even in a deliberate attempt to wreck a train, due to the fact that the bolts 11 cannot be withdrawn and the tie' bar is thus held in place and cannot be slipped endwise ofl the joint, and in like manner even if the lugs 20 were omitted these bolts would serve to tie the joint members against endwise displacement. Moreover the lock bar works opposite the track joint and serves to rigidly hold together the joint members so as to keep the meeting ends of the rails in true alinement and prevent any relative dis placement thereof which might occur otherwise when the bolts .6 work loose and cause a wreck. The reinforcement of the tie plate by the shoulders 14: under the rail joint, and also by the webs 15 even though the joints be spaced between ties, will give it the full. strength needed to hold the rail tread surfaces in the same plane so as to avoid wear ing therail ends and dattenin the wheels. This invention is not inten ed to be restricted in scope to the specific embodiments shown, but contemplates such modifications as come within the spirit and scope oi the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire'to secure by Letters Patent, is

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1. A rail joint formed in longitudinal halt sections, a tie bar slipped endwise on and adapted to lock said sections together, and means to make the sections fast to the cross ties on each side of said tie bar, comprising a bracket engaging under the ties and tie bolts connecting the joint to the bracket.

2. A rail joint formed in longitudinalhalt sections, a tie bar slipped endwise on and adapted to lock said sections together, means to make the"sections fast to the cross ties on each side of said tie bar, said means comprising a bracket engaging under the ties, and tie bolts connecting the joint to the bracket and arranged on each side of the tie bar.

3. A rail joint formed of longitudinal half sections shaped to fit snugly against the webs and about the bases of the rails, there being bolt holes formed in part in the meeting edges of the bases of both joint sections,

edges of the bases of said sections being raised intermediate portion of the bracket, notched ta form a hole having a countersubstantially as described. suzl k recess, tie bolts passgig through said In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. 10 ho e and having their hea s seated in said 5 countersunk recess, an angled bracket engag- JOSEPH TROTTER' ing under and between the adjacent pair of Witness: ties, and means to secure said tie bolts to the NoMm WELSH. 

